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Chocolate garnishes

Chocolate Curls

Create a halo of chocolate curls on top of your favorite sweet treat. Or, top cups of coffee with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate curls. Make brownies extra special by frosting them with vanilla buttercream frosting. Then, top each one of the brownies with a chocolate curl.

To make chocolate curl garnishes:

Place square or bar of semisweet chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife.

Let stand in cool, dry place until chocolate is firm. Do not chill in refrigerator. When chocolate is just firm, use small straight-edge metal spatula to form curls. Holding spatula at a 45-degree angle, push spatula firmly along baking pan, under chocolate, so chocolate curls as it is pushed. If chocolate is too firm to curl, let stand a few minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate again if it becomes too soft.

For ease in cutting chocolate, slightly warm cookie cutters with hands before cutting out shapes.

Chocolate-Dipped Fruits & Nuts

For the perfect ending to a rich meal, serve cups of steaming hot coffee. Garnish each saucer with a chocolate-dipped fruit or nut.

To make chocolate-dipped fruit and nut garnishes:

Place square or bar of semisweet chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife, as pictured above.

Place shavings in measuring cup. As shown above, fill a saucepan one-quarter full (about 1 inch deep) with warm, not hot, water. Place measuring cup in water to melt chocolate, stirring frequently with rubber spatula until smooth. Be careful not to get any water into chocolate. Remove measuring cup from saucepan.

If using fresh fruit, wash and dry well. Dip fruits and nuts, one at a time, into melted chocolate, until chocolate coating comes about two-thirds of the way up the side. Allow excess chocolate to drip off

Chocolate Cutouts and More

For your child's next birthday party, place a chocolate cutout alongside each serving of cake. Have the child help you by choosing the cookie cutter shapes he or she likes best.

To make chocolate cutout garnishes:

Place square or bar of semisweet chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife, as pictured above.

Place shavings in measuring cup. Add shortening. Use 1 teaspoon of shortening for every 2 ounces of chocolate. Fill a saucepan one-quarter full (about 1 inch deep) with warm, not hot, water.

Place measuring cup in water to melt chocolate, stirring frequently with rubber spatula until smooth, as pictured above. Be careful not to get any water into chocolate.

For ease in cutting chocolate, slightly warm cookie cutters with hands before cutting out shapes.

Chocolate-Dipped Fruits & Nuts

For the perfect ending to a rich meal, serve cups of steaming hot coffee. Garnish each saucer with a chocolate-dipped fruit or nut.

To make chocolate-dipped fruit and nut garnishes:

Place square or bar of semisweet chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife, as pictured above.

Place shavings in measuring cup. As shown above, fill a saucepan one-quarter full (about 1 inch deep) with warm, not hot, water. Place measuring cup in water to melt chocolate, stirring frequently with rubber spatula until smooth. Be careful not to get any water into chocolate. Remove measuring cup from saucepan.

If using fresh fruit, wash and dry well. Dip fruits and nuts, one at a time, into melted chocolate, until chocolate coating comes about two-thirds of the way up the side. Allow excess chocolate to drip off.

For a quick finish to cream puffs or éclairs, drizzle each pastry with chocolate before topping with toasted sliced almonds or pecan pieces.

To melt and pipe chocolate drizzle garnishes:

Place squares or bars of unsweetened, semisweet, or milk chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife, as pictured above.

Place shavings in measuring cup. Fill a saucepan one-quarter full (about 1 inch deep) with warm, not hot, water. Place measuring cup in water to melt chocolate, stirring frequently with rubber spatula until smooth, as pictured above. Be careful not to get any water into chocolate. Remove measuring cup from saucepan. Let chocolate cool slightly.

For a dazzling display, bend chocolate into the shapes that you desire.

To make chocolate shape garnishes:

Place squares or bars of unsweetened, semisweet, or milk chocolate on cutting board; shave it into small pieces with paring knife, as pictured above.

Place shavings in measuring cup. Fill a saucepan one-quarter full (about 1 inch deep) with warm, not hot, water. Place measuring cup in water to melt chocolate, stirring frequently with rubber spatula until smooth, as pictured above. Be careful not to get any water into chocolate. Remove measuring cup from saucepan. Let chocolate cool slightly.

Gently squeeze bag and pipe chocolate in a steady flow onto sheet of waxed paper, making a variety of small shapes. Stop squeezing and then lift bag at end of each shape. Create flowers, hearts, Christmas trees, lattice shapes or any lacy pattern.

Use small straight-edged metal spatula to form curls. Holding spatula at a 45-degree angle, push spatula firmly along baking pan, under chocolate, so chocolate curls as it is pushed. If chocolate is too firm to curl. Let stand a few minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate again if it becomes too soft.